Liu Li spoke softly. "Xiao Jin, now that you've mastered the Law of Fire, your cultivation has advanced greatly. But your spirit beasts are lagging far behind you."
Yun Jin nodded.
There was no helping it.
Her own cultivation advanced too quickly. She couldn't just stop and wait for her spirit beasts to slowly catch up.
"You've yet to visit the Spirit Beast Forest, haven't you?" Liu Li asked gently.
Yun Jin shook her head. "I never had the time."
"Before the Grand Sect Ranking Conclave, you should bring your beasts there once," Liu Li said.
Yun Jin looked puzzled.
There were only two months left before the conclave. She had already resolved to pour all her energy into building up the Wushuang Sect. A trip to the Spirit Beast Forest would cost her valuable time.
But Liu Li continued, "In that forest dwells a king among spirit beasts. The beasts you've raised are already extraordinary. If they meet that king, it may bring great benefit to both you and them."
Her words were vague, but Yun Jin obediently nodded. Since her master had said so, there must be a reason. She would understand when the time came. Which meant, she now had to set aside some time to visit the Spirit Beast Forest.
Seeing Yun Jin agree, Liu Li finally relaxed. She handed Yun Jin a mysterious bead and said only, "When you enter the Spirit Beast Forest, keep this on you."
Yun Jin accepted it with a nod.
In return, she produced several Beastmaster methods from the Wushuang Sect for Liu Li to study.
Liu Li accepted them calmly.
After meeting with her masters, Yun Jin opened a spatial passage and respectfully sent them off.
Lin Xiao was the last to leave. He paused, turned back to glance at Yun Jin, and in his eyes gleamed endless malice.
Yun Jin met his gaze head-on, her own expression calm and steady.
The Wushuang Sect was still weak, but her ambitions had never been merely to surpass Qingxiao Pavilion, or even the Holy Lands.
No.
She didn't see the Holy Land as the end.
Whatever she did, she would do it to become the strongest.
"Sect Master," An Tong called, his voice trembling with excitement.
The Tian Po Sword stirred quietly awake, while the Lava Dragon stood nearby, filled with emotion. Beneath the dais, countless disciples looked up, awaiting Yun Jin's decree. The path they walked was incomparably difficult. But with Yun Jin leading them, they had no fear.
Yun Jin said nothing right away. Only now did she check the rewards of her main quest. Her eyes shifted as she read. This particular main quest was bound to the sect itself. Which meant the rewards were all related to the sect as well. And in Yun Jin's view, this reward was perhaps the most precious of the three main quests she had undertaken.
This time, she could choose the rewards herself.
The first reward offered three choices.
The first was a powerful artifact.
The second, a bottle of rare pills.
But the third…
Was a token.
"Disciple Residence!" Yun Jin's eyes lit up as she read the inscription.
Probing it with her spiritual sense, information poured into her mind.
Using this token, she could summon into existence an actual building—the Disciple Residence, a place for disciples to live and cultivate.
And it wasn't a simple dormitory. Depending on its level, the residence could grant powerful enhancements.
To upgrade it, of course, required Emotional Value.
Yun Jin had just harvested a massive amount of Emotional Value in Canglan Kingdom and thought it would last her for ages.
The system, as if mocking her thoughts, had now introduced this new function—an entire building-upgrading mechanic that devoured Emotional Value in staggering amounts.
Her heart ached as she looked at the numbers.
But the effects were equally astonishing.
Grimacing, Yun Jin still chose the Disciple Residence without hesitation. Whatever the pill or artifact was, it couldn't compare. For quickly raising the sect's strength, nothing could beat the token.
The second reward was again threefold: artifact, pill, or a Trial Tower.
Yun Jin chose the Trial Tower.
The third reward gave her another token, this one for the Sect Master's Hall.
With that, the rewards were claimed.
According to the system, once activated, the tokens would immediately manifest the buildings out of thin air.
Yun Jin touched her chin thoughtfully.
The cultivation world did have magical dwelling-type artifacts. The Wushuang Sect's main hall was such an artifact, which Yun Jin now controlled.
But structures that could instantly appear, and even upgrade on the spot?
That was unheard of.
And each had miraculous effects, bordering on divine.
Yun Jin cast her gaze toward her disciples. She trusted their loyalty—for now.
But loyalty was never something to be tested lightly. The best way was to awe them from the very start, to crush any thought of disobedience before it could arise. These building tokens were the perfect tool. Her lips curved into a faint, serene smile.
The others, still stirred with excitement, awaited her orders.
Yue Zhao and the others exchanged wary glances. A sense of foreboding welled in them. From experience, every time their Junior Sister wore that expression, it meant she was about to perform another miracle in front of everyone.
Surely not.
She was already the sect master. Wasn't that miracle enough?
Could she really make herself appear even more godlike?
No… surely not…
Yet as they prayed silently, Yun Jin turned to An Tong and commanded, "Where is the area we planned for disciple quarters? Take me there."
"Disciple quarters?"
An Tong looked embarrassed but quickly nodded. And so, Yun Jin led the crowd to a wide, barren field. At present, a few crude stone huts stood scattered across the land, pitifully shabby.
An Tong hurried to explain. "The Disciple Residence hasn't been built yet. Everyone may have to construct their own dwellings for now." He could only shrug helplessly.
The main hall was an artifact and could be carried with them.
But the rest? They had to build by hand.
These huts had only just been raised by Feng Linglong and the others.
The plan was for disciples to construct their own homes until the sect became established.
Fearing discontent, Qin Ping interjected, "Building one's own dwelling is also part of cultivation."
Yun Jin smiled. "Elder Qin, there's no need to make excuses. The Wushuang Sect is in its early stages, so this is normal. But these hovels are unworthy of our disciples' identity. I've decided instead to grant you all a miracle."
A miracle?
The crowd froze.
Qin Ping's heart skipped a beat.
Above men were immortals.
Above immortals were gods.
In this world, people were wary even to speak of gods.
Yet Yun Jin, in mortal form, declared she would bestow a miracle?
Disbelief rippled through the disciples.
Only Yue Zhao and his companions exchanged a look of weary resignation.
See?
This was exactly the Junior Sister they knew. If she went a single day without shocking the world, she'd probably feel restless. Now this—this was the Yun Jin they recognized.
===
"弟子舍"
弟子 (Dìzǐ): "Disciple" or "pupil"
舍 (Shě): "Dwelling," "lodging," "hostel," or "quarters"
I plan to alternate between "Residence" and "quarters" when translating about it.